Head coach Steve Cooper has urged his Nottingham Forest players not to take the special City Ground atmosphere for granted.
The Reds have enjoyed some memorable afternoons and evenings on the banks of the Trent since Cooper took charge.
Sunday’s 4-1 hammering of Leicester City was right up there, with a palpable buzz from the stands as Forest fans watched their team dismantle the FA Cup holders in the fourth round tie.
And the Reds boss is keen to ensure his squad don’t become complacent about playing in front of packed-out stands.
“I did say to the players in the lead-up, we should never get used to what playing at the City Ground gives,” the Welshman told NottinghamshireLive.
“It’s not going to last in your life forever because, however long you are here, as a player it’s not forever.
“I don’t ever want us to take it for granted.
“I had a meeting with Phil Zinckernagel last week and we were chatting about a lot of things, but one of the things he said was about how much he loves playing at home, how much he loves the home games.
“We were talking about how we shouldn’t get used to it. We should be excited and thrive on it, but we should never take it for granted.
“I think if you have that approach, it helps.
“The confidence you can get from a game like yesterday is there to be had, and hopefully we can use it wisely.”
It was a near-perfect display from the hosts against Premier League opposition, and another marker in the road of the progress they have made under Cooper.
But he is never one to settle, constantly demanding more as his side look to build on that performance when they return to Championship action at Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday night.
“It was good. I’ll always want more - we’ll never be exactly where I want it, because that’s not the right mentality,” he said.
“There were some good things. But they are only good things if you do them again on Wednesday. That’s the only thing which is in my mind.
“I promise you - and I asked the players to do the same - as soon as I leave the stadium, you leave that one behind and get straight into the next game mode.
“We need to build on it, for sure.
“There were loads of good things, and loads of things we planned for. Football is a decision-making game and you have to allow players to have that freedom and make decisions. I thought they did that really well, both technically and tactically.”
